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Benjamin Franklin School

Q: Is Benjamin Franklin School a good school?

Benjamin Franklin School ranks in the bottom 0.7% of Pennsylvania elementary schools.

Q: How many students attend Benjamin Franklin School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 678 students attended Benjamin Franklin School.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Benjamin Franklin School?

Students at Benjamin Franklin School are 45% African American, 43% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 4% White, 2% Asian.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1500^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,511 Pennsylvania Elementary Schools

Better than 1% of Pennsylvania elementary schools

Summary

Benjamin Franklin School is an elementary school located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 740 students. The school is part of the Harrisburg City School District, which is ranked 579 out of 606 school districts in the state.

Benjamin Franklin School consistently ranks among the lowest-performing elementary schools in Pennsylvania, with rankings between 1427 and 1523 out of 1433 to 1554 schools over the past 10 years. The school's performance on PSSA (Pennsylvania System of School Assessment) tests is significantly below the state and district averages across all grade levels and subject areas. Despite relatively high spending per student, ranging from $9,328 to $25,282 over the past 4 years, and a student-teacher ratio that has varied from 12.4 to 16.3 over the past 3 years, the school's academic performance remains poor.

When comparing Benjamin Franklin School to other nearby schools in the Harrisburg City School District, such as Scott School, Melrose School, and Foose School, the performance gap is evident. These schools, while still struggling, generally outperform Benjamin Franklin School on PSSA tests and have higher statewide rankings. The challenges faced by Benjamin Franklin School appear to be deeply rooted in the socioeconomic factors of its student population, as well as potential systemic issues within the school and district.

678

Students ?

10.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$23,011

Per pupil spending ?

109.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1205 N 6th Street
Harrisburg, PA 17110

(717) 703-1200

District: Harrisburg City School District

Racial breakdown:

African American:

45.3%

Hispanic:

42.9%

Two or more races:

5.9%

See top rated Pennsylvania elementary schools

Compare Benjamin Franklin School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — <1st percentile in 2015 → 1st in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Pennsylvania average (7% vs 45% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (1st percentile)

!English Language Arts scores 38 pts below the Pennsylvania average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school7%

District avg10%

Pennsylvania avg45%

1,500^th of 1,511

Pennsylvania public elementary schools ?

Bottom 1%▬ steady since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Pennsylvania Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 5Elementary Schools in the Harrisburg City School District

579^th of 606Harrisburg City School District among Pennsylvania districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	3.8	1500 of 1511	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	3.7	1502 of 1526	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	3.2	1523 of 1534	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	4.2	1500 of 1534	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	2.9	1427 of 1433	0.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	2.7	1515 of 1544	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	3.3	1476 of 1530	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	4.2	1470 of 1547	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	2.5	1529 of 1554	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	2.2	1467 of 1474	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	18.9	377 of 413	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	14.5	423 of 437	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	15.0	426 of 437	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	16.1	953 of 1030	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	12.8	1027 of 1084	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	12.3	1010 of 1043	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	17.8	194 of 207	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	15.0	194 of 200	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	14.0	193 of 196	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	4.8	1442 of 1466	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	4.2	1451 of 1488	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	8.2	423 of 429	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	12.1	429 of 454	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	10.9	417 of 432	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	5.8	1355 of 1369	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	5.5	1405 of 1432	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	4.6	1402 of 1414	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	3.9	1464 of 1475	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	4.0	1473 of 1495	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

African American (2025)9th percentile+8 vs school

Disabled (2025)7th percentile+7 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)6th percentile+6 vs school

Female (2025)2nd percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)1st percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)1st percentile~ school

Male (2025)1st percentile~ school

By subject vs Pennsylvania (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts10%-38 vs state

Math4%-38 vs state

★

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Schools Near Benjamin Franklin School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				PSSA Math (2025)				PSSA English Language Arts (2025)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	PSSA Math 3rd Grade	PSSA Math 4th Grade	PSSA Math 5th Grade	PSSA Math All Grades	PSSA English Language Arts 3rd Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 4th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 5th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Benjamin Franklin School	Public	PK, KG-5	1205 N 6th Street	Harrisburg	17110	Dauphin County	Harrisburg City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(717) 703-1200	678	66	10.2	109.1%	28 (4.1%)	307 (45.3%)	291 (42.9%)	12 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (5.9%)	3.8	1500^th of 1511 public elementary schools	0.7%		3.7	1502^nd of 1526 public elementary schools	1.6%	2	6.0	1.2	3.4	3.6	14.3	8.6	7.0	10.0	$23,011	$77	$22,934
Pennsylvania STEAM Academy Charter School	Public, Charter	K-5	1500 North Third Street	Harrisburg	17102	Dauphin County	Pennsylvania STEAM Academy Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(717) 991-4334	360	22	16.3	77.5%	26 (7.2%)	241 (66.9%)	79 (21.9%)	6 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	7 (1.9%)	20.1	1198^th of 1511 public elementary schools	20.7%		20.7	1209^th of 1526 public elementary schools	20.8%	11	55.0	17.5	13.1	28.9	32.5	22.5	15.8	23.7	$14,465	$1,070	$13,395
Downey School	Public	PK, KG-5	1313 Monroe St	Harrisburg	17103	Dauphin County	Harrisburg City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(717) 703-1240	405	31	13.2	100.7%	6 (1.5%)	202 (49.9%)	160 (39.5%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (8.6%)	2.6	1511^th of 1511 public elementary schools	0.0%		2.2	1525^th of 1526 public elementary schools	0.1%	14	2.1	6.1	1.9	3.4	2.2	4.1	1.9	2.7	$24,596	$82	$24,514
Scott at Lincoln School	Public	K-5	1601 State St	Harrisburg	17103	Dauphin County	Harrisburg City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(717) 703-4560	484	30	16.5	101.0%	6 (1.2%)	203 (41.9%)	258 (53.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.5%)	4	1495^th of 1511 public elementary schools	1.1%		3	1519^th of 1526 public elementary schools	0.5%	24	5.1	9.1	1.3	4.6	6.4	5.6	13.0	8.6	$21,248	$71	$21,176
Steele School	Public	K-5	2537 N 5th St	Harrisburg	17110	Dauphin County	Harrisburg City School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(717) 703-4000	362	21	16.9		21 (5.8%)	160 (44.2%)	133 (36.7%)	15 (4.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (8.8%)								(n/a)
Sylvan Heights Science Charter School	Public, Charter	K-4	915 S 13th Street	Harrisburg	17104	Dauphin County	Sylvan Heights Science Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(717) 232-9220	217	15	14.7	96.3%	4 (1.8%)	148 (68.2%)	57 (26.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.7%)	15.3	1267^th of 1511 public elementary schools	16.1%		16.9	1259^th of 1526 public elementary schools	17.5%	8	28.2	22.5		25.3	22.5	31.7		27.2	$18,585	$4,371	$14,215
Melrose School	Public	K-5	2041 Berryhill St	Harrisburg	17104	Dauphin County	Harrisburg City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(717) 703-1440	536	34	16.0	112.9%	24 (4.5%)	198 (36.9%)	247 (46.1%)	29 (5.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (7.1%)	10.5	1345^th of 1511 public elementary schools	11.0%		5.3	1460^th of 1526 public elementary schools	4.3%	115	16.0	26.2	12.4	18.1	16.5	25.0	12.3	17.9	$22,276	$75	$22,201
Foose School	Public	PK, KG-5	1301 Sycamore St	Harrisburg	17104	Dauphin County	Harrisburg City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(717) 703-1280	522	46	11.2	97.9%	13 (2.5%)	201 (38.5%)	279 (53.4%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (5.0%)	5	1485^th of 1511 public elementary schools	1.7%		3.4	1510^th of 1526 public elementary schools	1.0%	25	8.1	4.3	5.1	5.8	5.3	14.3	15.0	11.6	$23,539	$78	$23,461
Washington Heights Elementary School	Public	K-4	531 Walnut St	Lemoyne	17043	Cumberland County	West Shore School District	No	No	No	Yes	(717) 761-8040	324	26	12.7	68.5%	150 (46.3%)	64 (19.8%)	55 (17.0%)	20 (6.2%)	3 (0.9%)	1 (0.3%)	31 (9.6%)	50	823^rd of 1511 public elementary schools	45.5%		44.4	955^th of 1526 public elementary schools	37.4%	132	55.5	45.9		50.5	44.6	50.9		47.9	$21,672	$1,212	$20,460
West Creek Hills Elementary School	Public	K-5	400 Erford Rd	Camp Hill	17011	Cumberland County	East Pennsboro Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(717) 732-0142	587	42	14.0	57.2%	339 (57.8%)	55 (9.4%)	75 (12.8%)	66 (11.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (8.9%)	56.8	718^th of 1511 public elementary schools	52.5%		60.7	696^th of 1526 public elementary schools	54.4%	22	50.5	58.7	47.5	51.6	48.5	56.8	45.3	49.6	$11,429	$955	$10,474

Frequently Asked Questions about Benjamin Franklin School

What is the racial makeup of Benjamin Franklin School?

Students at Benjamin Franklin School are 45% African American, 43% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 4% White, 2% Asian.

What district is Benjamin Franklin School in?

Harrisburg City School District

Is Benjamin Franklin School a good school?

Benjamin Franklin School ranks in the bottom 0.7% of Pennsylvania elementary schools.

How many students attend Benjamin Franklin School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 678 students attended Benjamin Franklin School.

Rate Benjamin Franklin School!

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Latest Pennsylvania data All new data »

2024–25 graduation ratesMar 29, 2026

2024–25 dropout ratesMar 27, 2026

2023–24 school spending dataJan 29, 2026

2024–25 Keystone Exams & PSSA scoresNov 13, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.